I'm running away. Don't call the press.

I'm running away. I'll be at the Holiday Inn if you need me. Now the only reason I tell you that, is because I don't want the Georgia police coming after me like they did that poor Runaway Bride (didja know they've made a musical out of her story!) Me being all bug eyed and somebody throwing a towel over my head. Throw a pillow my way if you want to, but that's it. Don't send out a search party looking for my ass either. All I need is somebody pounding on the door, waking my happy ass up! I'll be back home when I've had a good nights sleep.

Here's the problem. Rena, Rachel, Riley, Max and Nixie. 3 of them can open doors and I'm pretty sure one of them know how to unlock them. Rena is giving up naps. Yeah. Can you imagine how excited I am about loosing the only potential break I get alllllllll day? There are lots of problems with this. Aside from me not getting a break from all the kiddies at one time, it seems that Rena has some sort of , well, I'm not really sure what to call it. But this is what she does. About an hour after she falls asleep, and usually about 3 minute after I've finally called it a day, she wakes up kicking and crying in that plaintiff wail only a 4 year old has mastered. The last 2 times, she's complained of an earache. I don't know if this is true or not, but tylenol solves the problem....within seconds...which makes me think it might all be in her head. So, last night, everyone fell asleep at about 10:00 and I decided I was too worn out to drag all those tiny bodies to their respective beds, so I let them stay with me. Sure enough, about 11:00-11:30 Rena wakes up flailing about like a fish out of water, making enough racked to wake up the dead...or at least the sleeping toddlers...which she finally accomplishes. After some rather tense moments, I give her a shot of tylenol and send them all back to bed. Rena promptly goes back to sleep while the other 2 jockey for the best position in bed. And of course, Rachel falls off the bed. While they are figuring all of that out, I decided to take the dogs out to pee, so I don't have yet another interuption in my night. Down the stairs and out we go. Business accomplished. Back to bed. Now Riley's on Rachel's hair, boo, hoo, hoo. That problem solved and back to sleep we go. (A simple solution to the whole sister-on- your -hair dilema would be to sleep in your OWN bed!)

So off I drift, back to sleep, with the sound of Home Improvement playing softly in the background. Can I get a 'hell yeah' for the people at Nick at Night. I think I'm good 'til morning. Ha!

Next problem. The geriatric dog. He may be loosing his hearing and his eyesight, but the boy's still got a great nose on him. I know he can smell the stray black cat that I feed in the garage every night, within seconds of him coming in. Evidently, there are other little creatures he can smell also. I have the window open, so Max wakes me up about 4:20. There's something out there, he just knows it. I limp down stairs again and let the dogs out again. The search is on for the creature that has dared tresspass. I just hope he makes a clean getaway. Back upstair both Max and I hobble. Nixie trots on past us in search of something to destroy. I close the window and settle back into bed. Relax. And then the water drinking begins. Nixie chooses the toilet water, yum yum, while I can hear Max checking the doggie water dish. No water. but he checks back a few times before he comes to tell me. What the... I just filled it up yesterday. Back out of bed. Fill the water bowl. Back to bed. Relax. Now Nixie is tearing something up. Out of bed to find out what that is. Back to bed. Composing this post in my head. Now I can't sleep! It's 5:30 and now everyone is peacefully sleeping. I wish I had a picture, but Im not getting out of bed to go get the camera. Rena is sleeping in the middle of the bed, but slightly to my side. Riley is sleeping above her, head to head. Riley's feet are hanging off the head of the bed. Rachel is sleeping perpendicular to Rena with her feet pointing to Rena. Her head is hanging off the bed, so it's only a matter of time before she falls off the bed again. Geesh! Max is at Rena's feet and Nixie is breathing heavily beside me on the floor. I can't tell you how great the urge is to wake them ALL up!

So now you all know why I tend to get crabby. Especially around midafternoon. But like I said, I'm headed to the Holiday Inn. Don't come looking for me...and turn the lights off.